Learning
by Zsazsette
Summary: B'Elanna decides to tell Seven what she feels for her and a romantic relationship between the two women develops... I wrote this story in 2000, now I found it again, so I thought I'd post it :)
1. Chapter 1 - Learning how to love you

**~*~ Chapter One: Learning how to love You ~*~**

"0600 hours. Regeneration cycle complete."

Seven stepped out of her alcove. In front of her stood B'Elanna. Seven  
looked at her, wondering what she was doing in front of her alcove.

"Lieutenant Torres."

"Good morning, Seven."

"State your intention."

B'Elanna walked a little closer toward the former Borg who was standing  
there as erect as always. "I have come here to talk to you."

"What do you wish to talk to me about?"

The half Klingon hesitated for a while. Actually, she had planned just  
to tell Seven directly to her face what she had dreamed about the nights  
before and what these dreams had caused to her, but now that the young woman  
was standing directly in front of her, B'Elanna's courage seemed to be  
fading.

Then, she finally took all her courage, walked a little bit closer  
toward Seven and started talking. "Seven, I want you to know something. For  
the past few nights I... have been having wonderful dreams. Those dreams...  
were like a message." She didn't know whether she should continue talking or  
whether she should wait for a reaction from Seven. She felt uneasy as she  
didn't know how to treat Seven. She didn't know whether she should tell her  
she has fallen in love with her.

"What did the message say?" Seven finally asked. The Lieutenant was  
quite happy about her asking this as they now had a starting point for their  
conversation.

"It said... B'Elanna Torres, you have fallen in love." She now felt  
uneasy again.

"And why did you wish to tell me about this?"

"Because... you are the person who appeared in my dreams."

Seven turned her look to the ground. She didn't know what to do or say  
now. Then she finally dared looking at the brunet woman again. "Are you  
implying that you have developed romantic feelings for me?" Her voice was  
trembling for a bit.

"Yes, Seven, I have fallen in love with you."

Seven couldn't look straight into B'Elanna's eyes, so she lowered her  
eyes to the ground. She didn't feel comfortable due to what B'Elanna had  
just told her, especially as her and B'Elanna have never been close in any  
way.

"You must excuse my being impolite, but a few days ago you would have  
gone for the nearest air lock if you found out that you and me were assigned  
for an away mission together. You would insult me in any way you can just to  
prove me that you are the chief-engineer and that I need to be inferior to  
you. Lieutenant, I am sorry, but I fail to see the logic of your  
conclusion."

"Seven, try to see it from this point of few: Maybe I have treated you  
like that all the time with the intention not to let my real feelings for  
you come to the surface."

B'Elanna noticed that Seven was not feeling comfortable in this  
situation, so she went for the door to let Seven think everything through on  
her own. When she reached the exit of Cargo Bay Two, she turned to Seven one  
more time, and said, "Give my conclusion a thought, will you?" and then she  
left without waiting for Seven's reply.

~*~

Only a few minutes later, Seven entered engineering. She walked right  
up to B'Elanna.

"Lieutenant, I... don't know how to proceed."

At first, B'Elanna didn't know how to reply, as she was surprised and  
somewhat overwhelmed that Seven had come for her.

"Does that mean you ... wish... to proceed?" she asked Seven.

"Yes, I do."

"Well, how about having dinner together? Tonight, 1900 hours, my  
quarters?" She tried to sound as delighted as possible while saying this,  
although she was actually wondering whether her decision to tell Seven about  
her feelings was right and whether Seven felt the same, too.

"Very well. I will be punctual."

B'Elanna was walking nervously up and down her room. Seven could arrive  
any minute, any second... and there she was, as punctual as ever.

"Seven! I am so glad you accepted my invitation. Have a seat!" B'Elanna  
pointed at one of the chairs at the table. The table was already set and the  
meal was on it, as well.

"This looks... beautiful." Seven said after she had sat down, not  
really knowing how to act toward the Lieutenant.

"Thank you", B'Elanna answered while sitting down opposite Seven. She  
was a little confused as she didn't know what to talk to Seven about. She  
wished she could just tell her that she was terribly in love with her, but  
she didn't know if Seven would be comfortable talking about this topic.

There was an unpleasant silence in B'Elanna's quarters. Neither her nor  
Seven dared saying a thing. They just sat there, eating their dinner, not  
even looking at each other.

After they had finished eating, Seven rose from her chair. "Dinner was  
very good. Thank you for the invitation," she said and then headed for the  
door. B'Elanna noticed that Seven was a little nervous.

"Seven!" B'Elanna shouted and turned toward Seven. She rose from her  
chair, as well, and walked a few steps toward Seven. "You can't just go like  
that. You haven't had your desert yet. Computer, seal the door to my  
quarters."

B'Elanna was now directly in front of the women whom she loved more  
than anything else in the world and put her hands on her hips. Seven looked  
somewhat anxious at her, but B'Elanna knew that the situation was new for  
Seven and that this was reason for her being a little uncertain about what  
to do and about what will happen next. B'Elanna let her hands run softly  
over Seven's hips and her back while her lips found those of the blonde  
female. Seven closed her eyes and thought about nothing but about how sweet  
the kiss and how amazing that experience was.

Slowly but surely B'Elanna let go of Seven. "How did you like the  
desert?" she asked while looking deeply into her lover's eyes.

"It was ... delicious," Seven replied in a soft voice.

"Seven, I love you," B'Elanna told the woman whose hips were still  
being touched by the half Klingon's hands.

"I will need some time, Lieutenant... B'Elanna... but I am willing to  
learn how to love you, as well." She gave B'Elanna a soft kiss on the cheek  
and then she left her quarters.

~*~

The next morning, Seven went to B'Elanna's quarters right after her  
regeneration cycle had been completed. B'Elanna was already awake and  
offered Seven, who noticed right away that B'Elanna looked somewhat tired,  
to come in.

"I haven't been sleeping a second last night," B'Elanna said after she  
and Seven had set down on the sofa.

"Why is that?"

"I had to think about you all night long. Nobody has ever managed to  
stop me from sleeping, but you... you are just so wonderful, Seven. You've  
put a spell on me." She took Seven's hands into hers. Feeling the warmth of  
B'Elanna's hands gave a lot of comfort to Seven - and it made her want to  
feel the soft lips of the brunet woman again. Without saying a word, she  
closed her eyes and let her lips come closer to B'Elanna's. The half Klingon  
was at first a little surprised by Seven's being offensive, but then she  
just gave in to the kiss and forgot everything around her...

~*~ End of Chapter One ~*~


	2. C 2 - Learning to accept your nature

**"Learning to accept Your Nature"**

* * *

"Hello, darling."

B'Elanna entered astrometrics as she had been longing for Seven ever since the two of them had had their first kiss in her quarters. Since then, three days had passed in which the two women hadn't seen each other as B' Elanna was on an away mission.

"I am glad to see you are back, Lieutenant," Seven replied, still facing the screen.

"Oh, Seven, you needn't call me Lieutenant any more. Honey, we're in love, so, the least you can do is call me 'B'Elanna'... or you could even call me by a pet name!"

"I do not see the necessity of calling you by a pet name... such names are irrelevant. Lieutenant is your rank aboard this vessel, so why shouldn't I call you by it?"

"Seven, this is not about a rank, this is about our relationship. This is about the two of us being in love. We needn't be that formal any more."

Seven addressed B'Elanna directly now, "I am willing to accept that the nature of our relationship has changed, Lieutenant, but I will not let it affect my work. Please come back if there is something relevant to talk about."

"Alright," B'Elanna replied, sounding furious. She went to the door with the intention to leave astrometrics, but then she suddenly changed her mind and went back to Seven.

"Why do you behave that way?" she asked her with an angry expression on her face.

"I don't know what you are talking about." She took a deep breath as she did know what B'Elanna was talking about, but she didn't want to talk to her about it, although she truly loved B'Elanna. Seven didn't understand what was going on with her herself. She had no idea why she was treating the woman that held her heart in her usual cold, ex-borg manner.

"About your way of treating people and how you manage to piss everyone off!"

With those words B'Elanna left the astrometrics lab. She was angry because she had expected a little more from Seven after not having seen each other for three days than a talk on why it is appropriate not to call her by a pet name... or at least by her first name. She was angry because Seven neither even seemed to care about B'Elanna's wishes nor about the feelings B 'Elanna had developed for the former Borg. B'Elanna was longing for a normal relationship with Seven that would be filled with hours of pleasure and harmony for the two women, but she realized that with a woman like Seven a relationship like this might be impossible - unfortunately. Nevertheless she was willing to learn to accept Seven's nature.

Somebody was at B'Elanna's door. "Come in," she said with an angry tone in her voice. She still hadn't forgotten the talk her and Seven had had three hours ago in astrometrics.

Seven of Nine entered B'Elanna's quarters, who was surprised at the sight of the young woman.

"Seven..." she said and put the engineering report she had been reading aside. She wanted to get up from the sofa she was sitting on, but while looking at the beautiful blonde woman she felt as if she was hypnotised and fell back into her seating position on the sofa.

"Hello, Lanna," Seven said in a soft voice.

B'Elanna didn't know what to say, how to react. She was absolutely surprised - Seven neither called her "Lieutenant", nor "B'Elanna", but "Lanna". For B'Elanna this was like a confession of Seven's feelings for her, as she knew how serious Seven takes the hierarchy aboard the starship.

"Is my calling you 'Lanna' sufficient?" Seven asked B'Elanna.

"Oh yes, darling," B'Elanna replied and made a gesture which indicated that Seven should come nearer. Seven did so and let herself slide down on the sofa next to her lover. B'Elanna started caressing Seven's hair with her fingers. She felt that it was as soft as silk and she smelled its lovely scent.

But suddenly Seven pushed B'Elanna away. "I have work to complete in astrometrics," she said and got on her feet.

"Can't you complete your work later?" B'Elanna asked in a harsh voice.

"No, it can't wait," Seven said and left B'Elanna's quarters. B'Elanna felt the same anger coming up again that she had felt only a few hours before. She couldn't understand why Seven treated her that way. The only explanation she could find for this behavior was that Seven might be afraid - afraid of loving...

B'Elanna entered mess-hall where Seven was sitting all alone at a table.

"We need to talk", the brunet woman said and set down opposite the woman she loved.

"What about?" Seven asked.

"About what has happened this morning and then afterwards in my quarters." She took Seven's hands into hers and looked deeply into her blue eyes. "Seven, I love you. Please don't treat me like that."

Seven tried to get her hands out of B'Elanna's. "Leave me alone," she said. In a way, she loved feeling B'Elanna's soft and warm hands upon her own, but then again she was somehow afraid. Of what, she did not know.

B'Elanna didn't understand what was going on. She loved Seven so much, but she was hurting or upsetting her again and again, and B'Elanna was no longer willing to feel the pain and anger that arose in her every time her and Seven met. She tried to take Seven's left hand again. "Seven, I..." she started, but Seven interrupted her at once by standing up and shouting "Leave me alone!"

B'Elanna left the mess-hall. If the door wouldn't have been automatic, she would have banged it. How could Seven hurt her that way? Didn't she know how important it was for B'Elanna that her friends know how happy the two of them are?

Suddenly she stopped walking. She saw Tom coming around the corner. He was reading a status report, so he didn't see B'Elanna. Somehow she felt the urge to get his attention.

"Hello, Tom", she said and made him look up from the report.

"B'Elanna. Hi. Doing okay?" he asked her, feeling a little strange as the two of them hadn't talked to each other ever since they had broken up.

"Yes, I'm... just a little dizzy, you know."

Tom looked to the ground. He didn't really know what to talk to B' Elanna about, although he wished to tell her that his heart still aches for her and how much he misses her. While he looked at her, he saw the same glittering in her eyes which he had always seen when the two of them still were a couple. While looking into those eyes, he suddenly knew that she was struggling with the same weird thoughts as he was.

"I miss you, Tom," B'Elanna finally said and let herself fall into Tom' s arms. He pressed her against his chest, happy that his suspicion had turned out to be true.

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3 - Learning to feel pain

**"Learning to feel Pain"**

B'Elanna felt totally at ease in Tom's arms. She felt surprisingly good and discovered her desire to stay in those arms for ever. How strong they were, and how comforting. That was something she has missed ever since her and Tom had broken up, and something that Seven couldn't give her.

"Lanna, let's start over again. I miss you... and I love you", Tom suddenly said and pressed his former girlfriend even tighter to his body. All that went through his head at that time was the thought that B'Elanna might make him happy again and release him from the sad and monotonous world he had been living in ever since he and B'Elanna broke up.

"I am sorry, Tom, but I can't", B'Elanna replied in a soft voice. Tom let go of her at once so he could look at her.

"Are you with somebody else?"

"No...", B'Elanna replied, realising that she has just denied Seven. A cold shiver went over her back, but it was terminated at once due to Tom's taking her in his arms again. Now B'Elanna felt comfortable again.

Suddenly, Tom put his index finger under B'Elanna's chin with the intention to lift it up a little. She looked into his eyes, knowing very well what would follow. She gave in to his kiss, and suddenly all thoughts of Seven faded...

"Naomi Wildman." Seven entered Astrometrics and saw the young girl pressing some keys on the keyboard.

"You didn't ask me for permission to come here. Leave!" Seven pointed toward the door.

"But Seven, I was just..."

Seven didn't give the young girl the chance to finish her sentence. "Leave!" she repeated one more time.

"Is something wrong with you, Seven?" Naomi asked quietly. Seven could her the anxiety in her voice which made her regret the way she had treated the girl.

"I'm alright," Seven said while trying to calm down. "But I still want you to leave." Naomi dropped her head and left astrometrics.

After the girl had left, Seven let herself slide to the ground. Her head was filled with thoughts about B'Elanna. Somehow she couldn't understand why she had treated her that way in mess hall, but on the other hand she knew that she was - for whatever reason - horribly afraid. She was angry, very angry, but not with Naomi whom she had just screamed at, but with herself. She was angry because she didn't treat B'Elanna the way she deserved to be treated. She was angry because she has never told the woman whom she loved what she felt for her. She was angry because she might have ruined everything that B'Elanna had built up for the two of them.

After having sat there for a while, Seven wiped away the tears that were running down her cheeks and got up to her feet. She decided to go to B' Elanna and tell her everything that the half Klingon deserved to be told.

Seven left Astrometrics and made her way to B'Elanna's quarters. She was walking very quickly as she couldn't wait to tell B'Elanna about how she has thought everything through and about the conclusion to which she came. She wanted to feel the brunette woman in her arms again, and she wanted to feel her warms lips on every centimetre of her body. But as soon as Seven reached the corridor outside B'Elanna's quarters, that wish faded: B'Elanna and Tom were leaning against the wall, kissing each other passionately...

The End


End file.
